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Hi There,
I just sent in my package today and it should be received in the month of February so i decided to start a thread for February Filers!
Good Luck Everyone and keep us posted!
Arrived in USA (Tourist visa December 20th,2016)
Married - September 12th, 2017
Filed (I-130, I-130A, I-131, I-485, I-765, I-864)

Hello! I hot here in the US in a tourist visa and now im married to a USC. I was just wondering what should i put in this document regarding the INA. My tourist visa will expire next year. But my 6 month stay here in the US is over and we’re currently applying for the AOS since I got married to a USC.
Thank youN

Hi there!
I've noticed that no one opened a discussion for July 2018 AOS filers, so I decided to do it. Since we're all going to be anxious, why not share and experience the anxiety with the online community? HA!
Let me start by sharing a few things about me. I'm a veterinarian in my home country and my husband is a physician. One day my "then-fiance-now-husband" surprised me with a visit to the county office to get a marriage license! After a week we got married by a retired judge, it was a very simple and sweet ceremony and I've never been happier in my life. I'm currently a homemaker/housewife and I spend some time volunteering at the local animal shelter when I'm not busy studying for my USA vet boards. I do reccomend finding something to during the wait, it will definitely help with the anxiety.
Good luck to everyone!

Hello. I submitted my AOS and EAD last 1/29/2019 but havent received any updates from the USCIS yet.
My mail was succesfully delivered but I think the USCIS has not opened my mail yet. Is this normal? I am not receiving﻿﻿﻿﻿ any notice of action from the USCIS Chicago. Thank you.

Hey guys! So last week i submitted my i-485 to Chicago office. I’m from CA btw. So according the USPS, my mail arrived last Monday. But i havent received any email or text from the USCIS confirming that they’ve received my mail. Is this normal? Thank you.

My aunt is in the US awaiting her green card. The tourist visa she arrived with has not expired. Is she able to leave the US and come back using that visa? Even if she’s waiting for her immigrant visa?

My wife's daughter is applying for tourist visa and needs birth certificate to be translated from Spanish to English, can I as Co sponsor translate her birth certificate from here, sign the translation, scan it and send it back to her? I'm worried about they really need the original signature.

Hello! Recently, i just submitted my i-485. I am a tourist and got married to a USC. I was just wondering if I should report my marriage to the Philippine Consulate in SF and have a name change. Or wait for my green card before changing/renewing my passport? My passport will expire on 2021.
Thank you!

Hi there!
I want to know if applying for US tourist visa before applying for CR1 makes sense or not?
Little bit about me:
Indian citizen who studied and worked in US for 10 years.
H1b visa (work visa) got rejected in summer 2018 and I returned to India immediately.
Got married in India to my US citizen girfriend in December 2018.
Own a home and car in US. Did not get any time to wrap up my assets in US as exiting after H1b visa rejection was time sensitive.
My US citizen wife is now back in the US and we plan on getting married the American way with her family around. For this reason, I want to apply for tourist visa but I am not sure if I should wait until I file my CR1 visa or not. I understand that getting the tourist visa approved might be a difficult task but I want to take a chance and see if the visa goes through. If I get a tourist visa, I do not plan on staying back in US and file for AOS from there. I plan on fully following the legal channel and wait for CR1 approval from India.
What do you guys suggest? Should I file for tourist first and then file for CR1? My parents already have valid US tourist visa and they plan on visiting US for my American wedding.
What should be my pitch to consular officer regarding my need for tourist visa?
Any suggestion is highly appreciated.
Thank you!

Goodnight guys,
So I sent all of the docs for a change of status to tourist, I sent a money order but just noticed I forgot to put my name on it. What will happen? Will I be denied because of it?
Thank you for your attention :)

Hi! My husband and I just got the approval letter of the form I-130. We’ll be mailing I-485 today to the USCIS Chicago Center. The things is im in tourist visa and we got married March of last year. We don’t have any joint accounts because the bank is asking for my SSN which I dont have at the moment.
How long will my AOS take? Thank you.

Hello! We just got our I-130 approval and now applying for I-485. I got here inside the USA in a tourist visa and got married to a US Citizen. Is it possible for me to get an EAD? What should be the process of that?
Thank you

Questions asked by American consul:
1. Where are you traveling? We will travel to Los Angeles, California.
2. What’s the purpose of your visit? We will visit our daughter Apple21.
3. Is your daughter married? Yes.
4. How long has your daughter been in the US? She’s been in the US for 4 years already.
5. What’s your middle name for your single status? (This pertains to my mom’s maiden name.)
6. What’s the status of your daughter? She is a Lawful Permanent Resident.
7. What’s your occupation? I am retired now but previously I was a public school teacher (and my dad was an insurance underwriter).
8. How long will you stay in the US? We will stay there for 2 weeks only.
My parents are both 71 years old.
They were interviewed together (US Embassy Manila, Philippines).
No additional documents needed at the embassy.
They just brought their passports and DS160 confirmation sheets.
On the DS160 question on WHO WILL SPONSOR YOUR TRIP, they wrote my brother’s name who is also traveling with them. He has a high paying job in the Philippines. He already has a valid B2 visa and he’s the one paying for the airline tickets. They didn’t include my name anymore coz my brother is really the one with the moolah! Lol.
Tips:
Be consistent. Whatever you wrote on the DS160 that should also be your answer during the interview.
Be relaxed as much as possible.
Be polite.
Be presentable. Wear atleast smart casual as if you’re going to a job interview (yes even for parents!)
Don’t stress/bother about additional docs like invitation letters or bank statements/affidavit of support/land or car titles....THEY ARE NOT NEEDED. THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED.
Good luck! I hope you get approved as well! 😊

Hi everyone))
We are just getting started with out journey. We have known each other for 3 + years and have met briefly once back in April. We have an approved tourist visa. I will be meeting her in Ukraine in less than 2 weeks. We will spend a week there and come back to the US together for a few months.
We have no intention of getting married in the US to try and circumvent any processes. We have have discussed this extensively and decided to follow the common and most sensible process, which appears to be the K1. I am just looking for any advice you all have for moving forward from here. I have read a lot of posts here and have researched this for the last few years. But as most of you already know, real world experience is the most informative. I am looking forward to the journey. I am sure there will be challenges along the way. We are ready for them )) I have talked to a few attorneys that specialize in the filing of these petitions. So that is most likely how i will proceed. I don't think i want to file on my own as there are too many areas for potential error.
I wish all of you good luck in your adventures and i appreciate what you do here to help others through the process. I am prepared to contribute what i can as well as i navigate the process.

I am going to apologize now, before anyone reads this. Why? Because it will be long. I am going to describe everything that has happened over the last two years of futility. Maybe it will help someone avoid what me and the woman I love has had to endure. I've posted here in the past, but I've been a little secretive for reasons you will understand as you read. Finding someone in this world that loves you is an incredible thing, and one wouldn't think that it would be so excruciatingly difficult just to be together. But it can be just that. Maybe it's even impossible, and I use that word very begrudgingly because I hate giving up.
I met this wonderful woman online, at Internationalcupid.com. We immediately hit it off and soon began talking via email. That soon became Skype, then WhatsApp, and recently to FaceTime. After getting to know one another for a few months, it became obvious that we needed to meet. I had no problem with the idea of flying to the opposite side of the Earth to meet this fascinating woman. Except.... and here's the reason for my secrecy... I am what most would call a "registered sex offender." So to get it all out in the open, just as I did with her, here's the deal. In 2003, I was convicted of Lewd and Lascivious Behavior. This was a non-person, no contact, no victim misdemeanor. The it was the result of an internet sting and so there never really was a "victim". Nevertheless, I was behaving in a way that I should not have done, and the result was the requirement to register. I have not re-offended or been arrested in those last 14 years, and my fiance is completely aware of every minute detail.
With that being said, I flew to Indonesia not being sure that I would be allowed entry because of the International Megan's Law. This is a law that makes all offenders give notice when they intend to travel. The US Marshall's contact the destination country to alert them that the offender is on the way and advise them to send the traveler back home. It doesn't matter the reason, or how long ago, or what the conditions were. Some countries comply (most do), and some don't. When I left to go see this woman, it was all for "hope" that I would get to see her.
As luck would have it, I was allowed to enter. Our suspicions were right and we got along fabulously. It was like I'd found the missing piece to my puzzle... who knew it was in Indonesia??? After a few days there, I came back home. It was 3 months before I decided to go back again. It was getting difficult not having her by my side. We would speak each morning, both her morning and mine, and usually on Skype in her mornings. We would spend hours talking, numerous emails and chats on WhatsApp. This time, I had decided I was going to ask her to marry me. I took a ring and proposed. Praise God, she accepted and we became engaged. I was so freaking nervous!!!
Soon after my return, we began discussing the fiance visa, and here's where it gets even more difficult. She asked me if there was any reason that I would not be able to sponsor her, and to my knowledge there was none. I couldn't imagine what the reason would be. But, because she had asked, I told her I would check to see. What I found made my heart sink.
Because of my sex offense, I was not allowed to petition (sponsor) anyone into the United States. Why, I wondered would this have anything to do with it? Turns out, the Adam Walsh Act of 2005 (which interestingly enough became law after my conviction) stated that in order to protect children, registrants would not be allowed to sponsor people from other countries. What the....???? In our case, there were no children involved and we were both in our 40's and 50's. Nevertheless, that was the law whether it made sense to either of us or not. The only way to sponsor her was to get a waiver that states that I had proven that I was of NO danger to her. It didn't say that I should prove beyond a reasonable doubt, but that I was of NO danger to her. Still, she stood by me and decided we would move forward.
But remember how I said this gets more difficult? Complicated is probably more accurate. Well, I couldn't apply for her to be my fiance because of one thing... she was still married. Before you let your imagination run wild, here's the deal. Her husband left her and has been with another woman for 6 years now. She has been separated that long. After knowing her for 2 years now, speaking every day at all times of the day, being at her house, seeing her around the world, I can tell you for a fact that this is the case. Her estranged husband, however, doesn't want the divorce because it will tarnish his image in Indonesian society. (But living with his mistress does not.) She could push for the divorce, but she will then become the evil person and be judged by his family and her church for the divorce, even when it isn't her fault.
To make things more complicated, she lives in the family house that he continues to pay for, since the kids still have friends in the neighborhood and his mistress doesn't want to live in the house where his wife lived. Essentially, because of the guilt, she gets free housing. If she were to push for the divorce "against his will", it is quite likely that she will lose the house. In addition, she works for the company that he owns. She would then also risk losing her income. Not a good situation. Complicated, right?
So we have several things to address. I cannot sponsor her without getting a waiver for the fiance visa, but she cannot be my fiance until she is divorced. The only thing we have been able to come up with so far is to have her leave the country and then get the divorce. We tried to get a visitor visa twice and both times she was denied even when she was able to prove in every way that she had strong ties to her country. Her family is there, her job is there, she is very active in church, she owns a home there (in a different city).. heck, her HUSBAND is there. Still, they said she didn't have enough proof. Twice. Truth be told, all we really wanted at this point was for her to simply come and visit where I live and meet my family. She insisted that I have my father's approval before I marry her. I love that respect for tradition that she shows.
In between the two times she applied, I contacted several attorneys to get their input. Some said keep trying, others said "give up." I contacted my legislator and he offered to write a "letter of support" for her. Some people said this was a good option, others said it was bad. I spoke to a co-worker from Nigeria who, after trying EIGHT TIMES to come to the US, contacted our legislator and they were able to help him bring his mother. Other people said it would only make the embassy angry. I decided to go ahead and have them send the letter and unfortunately, it seemed to either have no effect, or made them angry. They basically replied that they have already given it their full attention and would again do so if she were to apply again.
At this point, at the advice of an attorney, we decided to have her become a student in the US. She took a TEFL course to improve her English and applied to several colleges and universities. She was accepted by each one for which she applied. Surprisingly, her "ex" was willing to be her financial sponsor because he felt like the course would make her more valuable as an employee. She wanted to take a 4yr course, not ESL, and was excited about the potential. After doing all of the paperwork and going to the embassy, here's how it basically went down:
1. Why are you attending college? Answer: To get an education to start my own business in Indonesia. (For the record, this was true.)
2. Where are you going to college? She gave the name of the college and city
3. Does your family support you leaving? Yes. (In fact, her son and daughter were very happy for her.)
Then, they looked at the computer, read a little and then asked the following:
4. Do you have any family in the US? No.
5. Do you have any friends in the US? Yes, I have several across the US.
6. What about your friend in Oklahoma? Do you still talk to him? She said "Yes, we still talk."
They then immediately responded, "You are being denied." She was devastated. After all of the work, after being accepted by 4 different universities, it all came down to who her friends were. As you can imagine, this was a very strong hit to our relationship. I mean, what's the point if there is no hope of being together?
A few weeks went by and after talking with a few more attorneys, I was advised to have her be a student in a different country. She could then get the divorce and we could begin the fiance visa process. This, by the way, involves applying, being denied, and then applying for the waiver. We decided that Canada would be the place so she would at least be in North America, far away from Indonesia. She applied at another college, was accepted, and even had a family member sponsor in Canada sponsor her.
Again, we went through all of the paperwork and forms together as much as possible. It was quite frustrating, but eventually we got it complete. She filed the paperwork and waited. Denied. Intending Immigrant. At least Canada stated what the reasons were for their ruling, so she gathered additional documentation even though she had given documentation to begin with to address their concerns. She re-submitted the application with more documentation and basically got the same response. It was as if they did not even read any of the documents that she sent. I later found that the US and Canada share immigration information, so I assume this was the reason. They basically denied her because the US denied her.
This was even more difficult on our relationship and she didn't want to talk for several days. Then, we put together our new plan. If she cannot come here, and I cannot go there, then we will meet somewhere else. She was willing to leave everything she knew behind to be with me, so I must be willing to do the same. Words have to have meaning and action behind them, otherwise, they are simply sound. So, I am now working to meet her in another country.
This, however, is not easy either. First I have to deal with the IML (International Megans Law) and find out which countries I can even enter. Then, I have to find out which countries will allow me to stay. Then, I have to find a job. This is a difficult process. I am applying for positions around the world at various places now, and I'm also looking at starting a business in one other country.
Throughout this time I have written to embassies, Ambassadors, Presidents (both Obama and Trump) Governors, Senators, representatives, attorneys, tv and radio talk show hosts, human rights organizations, made USCIS connections on Linkedin, The United Nations, various churches and other organizations and immigration departments in other countries. Most often, I get no reply at all. Still, love knows no bounds and believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails.
She is really discouraged at this point. What is the use of loving, but loving in vain? We have seen each other several times over the past few years, usually somewhere in Asia, and we are hoping to see each other again next month. But we are both openly and honestly questioning the worth of being in love with someone we can rarely ever see? She is a vibrant, funny, tender and attractive woman... with a degree, no less. She has a right to be with the one she loves. Nevertheless, US law is punishing her for having done nothing wrong other than to fall in love. As for me, the same law continues to punish me even after I've paid my debt. In the end, all we want is to be together. I don't have any evil intention when I travel as I only travel to see this precious one that I love. She means everything to me.
Still, after two years, we are really no closer than we were before. Our love is deeper and stronger, which is both good and bad. At this point, we are sad if we let go, and we are sad if we hold on. Now you've read the whole story. If you have any input that will help bring a solution, I would welcome your words. If you want to hate on me for being a registrant, go ahead. I'm used to that already. Nothing you can say would surpass the things I read on Twitter or the Yahoo comments section. Maybe there is something that I haven't tried, or haven't seen. If you have a positive suggestion, I'd willingly listen. If your suggestion is to quit, give up or walk away... you can save the energy and give your fingers a rest. After honestly discussing it, all we really want is to be together. My fortune cookie the other day said this: "A man only fails when he fails to keep trying." Word! Thanks for reading.

I (21/F) am trying to get my Nepalese fiance (27/M) to come to visit my hometown for Christmas and New Years. I will be on a three-week break during this time and we thought it would be perfect. We have been dating for 5 years and we met each other in person almost 2 years ago. I have visited his home country 3 times. This is great, but now my family wants an opportunity to meet him, I also want to show him my hometown and I want him to spend the holidays with my family. Although we are engaged we cannot get married for another year because I have to finish my degree. We have been reluctant to apply for the visa in the past because he told me that many Nepalese people get denied and we are engaged.
I know one of the requirements of the tourist visa is to show strong ties to his home country and to show that he has no intention of immigrating. His ties are: His engineering that he has had for 3 years, his mother is sickly and he pays for her medication and other health expenses, He helps with household funds such as the vehicle payments, utilities, and whatever else is needed. He does not intend to immigrate because: He has to return and help his family with the bills and be there for his mother, his boss will only give him a maximum of 14 days of vacation, He is helping his family pay off debts and is one of the working members of the family. I will have to start my final semester of classes, We cannot get married because I am in the process of completing my license requirements for my career. We are well aware of the process and the fact that us being engaged can hurt our chances, but we have not desire to get married at this time because it is not feasible.
He is not a rich guy but has money saved up. He will be supported by me during his stay and we plan to fill out the sponsor form. The two weeks are going to be pretty straightforward. He will meet my family, spend time with me, join us during our family celebrations and go sightseeing with us. My family is actively asking him to come and visit so should we write an invitation? Also, should we buy the plane tickets beforehand? What should we do to make this process go as smoothly as possible? Also how long will this process take? I know I am not applying for him, but I just wanted more information to see if he should even bother trying and what can be done to increase his chances.

Hello everyone,
I'm planning on filing my parent's I-130's soon.
My parents have overstayed their visas 1+ years before. They're last entry was in June 2009 and exit on July 2009.
Before that, they entered in 2002 and stayed in the US until October 2007.
Since I'm filing soon, I'm hoping their I130's will not be approved before July 2019 (10 years from their last entry).
My parents have not attempted to return to the US since then and have not renewed their visas.
Has anyone had a similar case? What are my chances of being able to bring them to the States?

I am a Filipino citizen but my baby was born here so she is a US citizen.
We are visiting the Philippines in November 2018 and plan to stay until January 2019.
Can she stay in the country for more than 30 days or does she need a visa?
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks :)

Hello everyone,
I reside in Canada and I have a valid B1 (tourist) visa, and it is valid until 2025. I am not yet a Canadian citizen, so I required a visa to go through/to the US. The valid B1 visa is stamped in my OLD passport. As I have changed names to my married name, I got a new passport showing my married name.
I have to fly through the States to visit my home country in December, and I realize this might pose a problem. I have researched online, and information on different embassy/consulates say more or less different things. Some official FAQs say bringing the old passport with the B1 stamp, my new passport and my name change document should be enough (which is what I am hoping to do).
The US Embassy in Vancouver's website (I reside in Vancouver) says the following:
If your name has legally changed through marriage, divorce, or a court ordered name change, you will need to obtain a new passport. Once you have a new passport, the Department of State recommends that you apply for a new U.S. visa to make it easier for you to travel to and from the United States.
From this wording, I gather that, while they RECOMMEND I get a new visa, it is not REQUIRED, meaning I could use my old passport, new passport and name change document (even though they would clearly prefer I had a new visa).
I would not mind getting a new one, had I not already applied for my Canadian citizenship, meaning that by June next year (at the latest) I will probably be visa exempt to enter the US anyway. I would prefer to avoid spending $160 US, plus taking time off to go do an interview (required for people from my Country), not to mention the annoying bureaucracy etc. Also, in almost 7 years residing in Canada, I have literally only entered the States in transit to another place- I don't really visit south of the border, I won't have any other entries into the US before June 2019 (when I expect to get my Canadian passport)
I have tried emailing the Embassy directly, but they replied with a link to their FAQ (which I had already read, quoted above).
I would appreciate any thoughts/insights/similar experiences anyone might have.
Thank you in advance :)

I just heard in my travel group that in order to receive a Nigerian tourist visa that you have to appear in person at OIS for biometrics. I’ve always submitted my application by mail? Is this true? Does the embassy really expect people to travel for all over the US to Atlanta for a tourist visa?

Hi,
Anyone from Ghana who has traveled to the States using a B-1/B-2 visa? Can you give any pointers or explain the process. My husband and I have decided to apply for this visa since it seems as if we will not see one another again for another year because of CR-1 delays. I plan to travel to Ghana in August for my yearly trip but would like him to be able to travel back with me when I leave and stay with me for the length of the tourist visa. He has no problem going back and has somewhat strong ties. But I'm not sure if it is enough! Any and all help is greatly appreciated from people who have been through the process from Ghana. I understand it being a hard country to get approved for visas so I dont need that information just information about the process and tips on how to guarantee an approval. Thank you in advance.

Question: I recently visited the US with my husband and son age 1. We were ask how many cash we had and how long we are planning to stay. I said for a month that we were ask who are we going to visit in said families. We were given only one month. Why? This was not a problem though cause that's the initial time we wanted but normally you should be granted 6 months. Anyway I wanted to visit my friend in California nx month would that be a problem is it too soon I just came back July 8. Please help any advice will be appreciated.